Washington Extends Head Coach Leslie Gabriel
February 05, 2025 | Volleyball
SEATTLE – Coming off a return to the NCAA tournament in her second season as Head Coach, Leslie Gabriel has received a contract extension through the 2029 season, it was announced today by Washington Director of Athletics Pat Chun.
"Coach Gabriel has put Husky Volleyball on a trajectory that has made it one of the nation's most successful programs for the past two decades," said Chun. "Coach Gabriel has proven to be an exceptional leader during her tenure as our head volleyball coach, and we look forward to her continuing to grow and develop our program into the future."
Gabriel has been the one constant now over the past 24 years as Washington developed into a powerhouse, winning seven Pac-12 titles and reaching five Final Fours and claiming the 2005 national title. She has helped 27 All-Americans in her time and ten Husky alumni are currently playing professionally either overseas or in the LOVB and PVF leagues here in the U.S.
"I am incredibly grateful for the support the University of Washington has shown me over the past two years and for its commitment to ensuring our volleyball program has the resources to compete at the highest level," said Gabriel. "This is a special place, and I'm fortunate to work alongside amazing people every day. I want to thank Athletic Director Pat Chun and Deputy Athletic Director Kim Durand for their unwavering support, as well as my assistants Mike Brunsting, Justice Magraw, and Hardy Wooldridge, with whom I share so much of this journey.
"The University of Washington is a truly special place, and the players here want to meet a championship standard," Gabriel said. "It remains my goal to help the women in our program strive for excellence in all that they do."
This past fall, as UW transitioned to the Big Ten, the Dawgs went 19-12 to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships for the 22nd time in Gabriel's 24 years as a coach. She earned her first top-10 victory as Head Coach with a win over No. 10 Oregon and the Dawgs added another key ranked win on the road at No. 14 Minnesota.
Sophomore Kierstyn Barton and senior Emoni Bush earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors, and Julia Hunt was named AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year as well as a part of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Washington also established a new average home attendance record with 3,640 fans per match, including the first sellout in program history inside Alaska Airlines Arena, when No. 2 Nebraska came to town on Nov. 9.
"Coach Gabriel has put Husky Volleyball on a trajectory that has made it one of the nation's most successful programs for the past two decades," said Chun. "Coach Gabriel has proven to be an exceptional leader during her tenure as our head volleyball coach, and we look forward to her continuing to grow and develop our program into the future."
Gabriel has been the one constant now over the past 24 years as Washington developed into a powerhouse, winning seven Pac-12 titles and reaching five Final Fours and claiming the 2005 national title. She has helped 27 All-Americans in her time and ten Husky alumni are currently playing professionally either overseas or in the LOVB and PVF leagues here in the U.S.
"I am incredibly grateful for the support the University of Washington has shown me over the past two years and for its commitment to ensuring our volleyball program has the resources to compete at the highest level," said Gabriel. "This is a special place, and I'm fortunate to work alongside amazing people every day. I want to thank Athletic Director Pat Chun and Deputy Athletic Director Kim Durand for their unwavering support, as well as my assistants Mike Brunsting, Justice Magraw, and Hardy Wooldridge, with whom I share so much of this journey.
"The University of Washington is a truly special place, and the players here want to meet a championship standard," Gabriel said. "It remains my goal to help the women in our program strive for excellence in all that they do."
This past fall, as UW transitioned to the Big Ten, the Dawgs went 19-12 to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships for the 22nd time in Gabriel's 24 years as a coach. She earned her first top-10 victory as Head Coach with a win over No. 10 Oregon and the Dawgs added another key ranked win on the road at No. 14 Minnesota.
Sophomore Kierstyn Barton and senior Emoni Bush earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors, and Julia Hunt was named AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year as well as a part of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Washington also established a new average home attendance record with 3,640 fans per match, including the first sellout in program history inside Alaska Airlines Arena, when No. 2 Nebraska came to town on Nov. 9.
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